FROM THE EDITOR
"Open" = "Open"by Linda Mojer

I had the pleasure of having a
little email exchange with Drew Stoddard recently (former editor of National
Racquetball) in pursuit of some insight on an issue that flares up every now
and again  you know, that pro thing. Mr. Stoddard had penned an editorial
fifteen years ago [January 1986] that urged the then-AARA to establish
open racquetball in the truest sense of the word.

At that time, money-earning
pros were restricted from AARA events, while those same sanctioned
tournaments routinely offered substantial cash prizes to their weekend
warriors. In these events, players could win cash (equal to a round or two of
earnings at a pro stop), without jeopardizing their eligibility to compete. On
the other hand, pros (with the stated goal of playing racquetball as a
profession) were denied that same earning potential and restricted from
competing in AARA events altogether.

How then, asked Stoddard, could
anyone justify allowing an individual to win $1,000 at a AARA sanctioned
tournament and remain eligible for future events ... while ousting a player who
won $250 following an early-round loss at a designated pro stop? The term
shamateurism was bandied about.

Todays eligibility rules
evolved from that mid-80s debate. The rigid, narrow view of defining pros
on the basis of earnings alone (in any amount) gave way to a
kinder-and-gentler policy taken from tennis ... open became
open.

So whos eligible? Consider
the player who reaches the quarters of a pro stop and wins, oh, $750.00
(Im guessing here) 10 times in a season, to bring home a whopping
$7,500.00 in salary for the year (less expenses ...). We all know
thats not a living wage, but it may be enough to keep that individual
motivated to keep playing at their peak  so they have the option of
putting those earnings in trust with the USRA, then drawing against
those funds for travel and training expenses. Those who exercise that option
want to stay in the game, but theyve still got to keep a day job, just
like you and me.

Today, at any USRA open
event (particularly nationals), you should expect to play any
eligible athlete, and there wont be any money on the line. If
a local event offers cash in its open divisions, you should expect
to compete against someone whose name just might appear on the top-50,
season-end pro rankings list (or of that calibre). Even then, you could still
have a pretty good chance of winning. In fact ... its wide
open.